It’s a common trap for a popular series: After a couple adored seasons, critical acclaim and numerous Emmy wins, the wear and tear settles in as a once surefire scenario that seemed vibrant and fresh exhausts all creative possibilities.
Not so with “White Lotus,” creator Mike White’s wry, gutsy travelogue with numerous benefits. It remains as wicked a delight as ever as it skewers the rich by dropping anchor at a posh luxury-brand hotel where a clutch of wealthy but highly problematic tourists unpack their neuroses while working on their tans. Some, though, wind up floating dead in the water.
White’s gulp-able HBO series retains its Relais & Châteaux status in Season 3, which kicks off Sunday night, as sexy and funny as ever. And if anything, it’s even more cringeworthy this time around.
White shifts from the sensuality of Sicily to a relaxing (or so it would seem) wellness and spiritual retreat on a Thailand island. The scenery change is as refreshing as a tropical breeze, with White introducing us to a new collection of guests ready to disrupt the calming waves of paradise.
This new gaggle of mostly privileged Americans remain as flawed and self-absorbed as ever, too. They include the obnoxious Ratliff brood — with a twitchy father (Jason Issacs) who’s facing legal problems; a pill-popping mom (Parker Posey) who’s tone-deaf about just about everything; a Buddhist-leaning daughter (Sarah Catherine Hook); a cocksure, loutish pretty-boy son (Patrick Schwarzenegger); a quiet, acquiescing younger son (Sam Nivola) who’s harboring a secret. The gang also includes three female besties who reunite for a girl’s trip and want to have some fun — avery generous, or so it seems, actress (Michelle Monaghan), a two-faced gossip (Leslie Bibb) and an emotionally brittle friend (Carrie Coon) who feels like the imposter within this coiffed group.
And the guest list doesn’t end there. The welcome mat is unfurled for an intense mess of a man (Walton Goggins) with a debt he wants to pay; he’s there with his gregarious girlfriend (Aimee Lou Wood); a visitor from Maui (Natasha Rothwell) who works in the hospitality industry and; of course, the hotel’s accommodating staff (Lalisa Manoban, Tayme Thapthimthong, Arnas Fedaravičius, Christian Friedel and more) who work for its celebrity owner (Lek Patravadi).
That’s a lot of characters to get to know and keep track of. But per White’s norm, each is so clearly delineated and well-cast that the largesse never gets confusing or overwhelming as the stories intertwine and coil and slither around each other like a nest of snakes. Particular kudos go to Schwarzenegger, Coon, Goggins, Isaacs, Nivola, Bibb, Posey, Monaghan and Lou Wood.
Their shenanigans, motivations and desires make for another shock-filled escape. I gobbled down six of the eight episodes available for review, and will say – without even the slightest reservations– that “Lotus” regulars should check in for this third season. You won’t be disappointed. Just be prepared to get your jaw dropped and your raised eyebrows torched right off.
‘THE WHITE LOTUS’ — SEASON 3
8 episodes; 4 stars out of 4
Cast: Leslie Bibb, Carrie Coon, Walton Goggins, Sarah Catherine Hook, Jason Isaacs, Lalisa Manobal, Michelle Monaghan, Sam Nivola, Lek Patravadi, Parker Posey, Natasha Rothwell, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Tayme Thapthimthong, Aimee Lou Wood
When & where: Debuts Feb. 16 on HBO; available to stream on Max; one episode will be released per week in subsequent weeks
